The Brokenhearted League
by shinoryuu yukimura
Summary: shonen ai. NaruGaa, KakaSasu, ShinoNeji... three broken hearts... three years... will they find a happy ending? cheesy summary? hopefully the story isn't. CHAP 1 up


Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine… that's that…

Title: The Brokenhearted League

Author: Shinoryuu Yukimura

Rating: T… maybe for sixteen up…

Warnings: Shounen ai… not into this? Then please go back to main menu… and this is probably slight AU in the sense that Sasuke did not leave Konoha for Orochimaru…

Rating may change because of some language and sexual overtones…

Summary: Pushed away, cheated on, blatantly rejected… how do three people cope, move on, heal, and maybe… forgive… this is a story of broken hearts and healing… a journey of love, friendship and finding one's self (sheesh, am I too cliché, overdramatic, or what?) (rolls eyes)

Pairings: Naruto/Gaara, Sasuke/Kakashi, Shino/Neji; minor pairs (for now): Shikamaru/Ino, Kiba/Hinata, Sakura/Lee; hints of Naruto/Sakura and Neji/Tenten

Author's Notes: Ah… I love Shino (where d'ya think I got the first part of my name?)… I love Kakashi… And Sasuke… And Gaara… hence… slash fiction… I also think Naruto would look so cute if he dons the hairstyle of the Yondaime… I see great similarities in them... maybe they really are father and son… the guys are around fifteen to sixteen here.

Some Jap. terms I used are explained below…

I hope I won't bore you with this one… enjoy…

The Brokenhearted League

Chapter 01 Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Home.

At last.

He was tired and weary. He was dirty and cold. He smelled of sweat, and blood, and of woodland trees. It was eight o' clock in the evening. He'd been gone seven long days on an exhausting Class A mission to retrieve some damn scroll that the Hokage needed. He hoped that old bat is happy now. He yawns.

Stealth missions were boring. You do nothing but track down your enemy and wait for ages before you can make your move. It didn't help that he had been paired with the world's laziest idiot. Okay, the guy was a genius, that Shikamaru. But he can't help but hold a grudge when said 'genius' made him crouch in the most uncomfortable position for hours before giving the 'go' signal. Damn, his lower back hurts! He vowed get lazybones one of these days.

Articles of his mission uniform where shed and scattered all over the place as he walked towards his bathroom. He needed a good, hot shower to soak and soothe his sore body. As the first spray of hot water hit his skin, he let out a hiss of satisfaction. Ah, that's better.

He decided to grab some dinner at the ramen shop after cleaning up. Then, he thought, maybe he'd drop by his girlfriend's house. He missed her so much. It has been a week after all. Maybe, she'll be so happy to see him and he'd get lucky. He let out a soft laugh. But knowing his love, she'd probably hit him on the head and scold him for taking such a long time toaccomplish his mission. Well, he'd make sure to lay the blame on Shikamaru so that his girlfriend could have someone else's head. He chuckled at the thought.

After his refreshing shower, he donned his trademark clothes: that striking jacket and pants that he had always been so fond of. He also tried to tame his stubborn golden locks, but to no avail, so he just looked into the mirror and smiled. Hopefully, people will notice his brilliant white teeth and not his messy excuse for ahair.

The small ramen shop that he frequents was empty that night, except for one person. His Iruka-sensei. The older ninja greeted him with a warm smile and congratulated him for his successful mission. How did his former sensei know that he had returned? Well, it turned out that the brown-haired chuunin was inside the Hokage's office for a meeting with a few others when Shikamaru entered with the scroll and made the report. The older ninja knew thathis favorite studentwould most likely be here, as always, after missions and decided to join the said pupil. It must be his lucky night because Iruka sensei offered to pay for his dinner, which consisted of five big bowls of ramen, two orders of yakitori and harumaki… and sometea... as a congratulatory present. Lucky indeed.

They talked of a lot of things all through dinner, him and Iruka sensei. They laughed, and they reminisced, and the chuunin would always remind him to take good care of himself and to always keep an optimistic attitude in life. Iruka sensei was such a good father figure to him. At around nine, they left the ramen shop and parted ways. Iruka sensei still had papers to grade so he waved goodbye and wished hisformer studenta good night.

He made his way towards his girlfriend's place.

Sakura. His pink-haired angel. The love of his life. The girl of his dreams. The apple of his eye, the… His thoughts were cut short as he tripped over a rock. Stupid rock. Can't it see that a young, dashing, highly skilled and pathetically head-over-heels in love chuunin will pass this way? Stupid rock indeed.

He got up and dusted his clothes still glaring at the protruding rock. He then smiled. Nobody puts down Uzumaki Naruto, the next greatHokage of Konoha. With that in mind, he kicked the rock into oblivion, hitting a certain perverted target on the head some kilometers away as said target was supposedly busy 'gathering data' for his newest novel.

When he saw the familiar building become nearer, he smiled and pulled out a small box wrapped in pink paper with white hearts and a small ribbon on top. It was something that he saw at a bazaar two weeks ago, before he left. He forgot to give it to Sakura because of the urgency of his mission. He missed their two-month anniversary last Tuesday, which was two days ago. He straightened himself and put that cute goofy grin back on.

He reached the wooden door with the carving of sakura blossoms and raised his right hand to knock. He froze as soon as he heard what sounded like… moans and grunts coming from inside the house. He pressed one ear to the doorand triedto listen carefully. One sound was distinctly male. A short while later, a female scream filled the air and Naruto kicked the door open.

Wide blue eyes gazed at the scene before him, his body frozen in mid-action with shock, then hurt. Then anger.

At first he thought that his eyes had been playing tricks on him. The mission hadn't allowed him getproper rest. He convinced himself that it was only because he lacked sleep, that he was hallucinating at that moment. Anything, but that this was actually happening to him.

The box in his left hand fell to theground.

"Naruto…"

Sakura. His Sakura. How could she do this to him?

There she was, naked, his picture of perfection. But she wasstraddling... Rock Lee, of all people, like a wanton whore, and from the sound that he had just heard outside the door, she had been enjoying every minute of it.

He felt a surge of anger flow in his blood. Then, looking into her eyes, he saw guilt and fear. He cannot bear to see those beautiful ruby orbs look at him in pain. His whole body shook. Then calmed. He noticed Rock Lee take a protective stance towards his Sakura. No. Not his anymore.

He bowed his head in resignation, he felt the stinging tears behind his closed lids and let them flow freely to the floor. One word flew from his quivering lips.

"Doushite yo?"

"Oh Naruto… Gomen ne…" Sakura cried brokenly. Lee picked up a blanket and draped it over the young woman's bare form. She accepted it and nodded at him to leave her alone with the blonde for a while. He gathered his clothes and headed towards the kitchen. "I didn't mean for you to find out this way…"

"Did you mean for me to find out at all?" Naruto forced himself to say.

"Yes. I was… going to end things between us when you returned from the mission... I didn't know it would be tonight." Sakura replied quietly. Naruto just nodded.

"Why Sakura?" Naruto tried again. "What did I do wrong?"

"Oh Naruto… You didn't do anything wrong. Hontou ni… It's just that… I love Lee. You have been so busy lately and had no time for me. Lee was here... hekept me company most of the timeand… it just happened…"

"Did you ever love me at all?" He had to know that much.

"I love you Naruto. Just not the way that you wanted me to… I told you when we first got together that I would try." Sakura explained as gently as she could in that sad broken voice. "I did try. But it wasn't there."

"And you found this with Lee?" He forced himself to stop shaking.

"Yes."

"Then call him."

"What?" There was a hint of panic in her voice.

"I want his ass here right now!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto please…" She begged him.

"Lee! Be a fuckin' man and get out here!" But he wouldn't listen.

"Naruto, no-"

"Daijoubou, Sakura," came a clear, reassuring voice from the far end of the room. Lee had been there all along.

Lee came out of the shadowswith a serious look on his face. Naruto, though,never lifted his crying eyes from the wooden floor.

"You want to fight Naruto?" the taijutsu specialist asked.

The blonde stirred and walked straight towards the black-haired teen. He stopped directly in front of him, head still bowed.

"I will only say this once Lee," spoke an unfamiliar voice."I hope you make her happy and that this was worth destroying two solid friendships for." As soon as the words were said, a strong punch landed on the older boy's left cheek, sending him flying straight to the wall.

"Lee!" Sakura screamed running towards her injured lover.

"I now cut off any ties I have with both of you." Naruto declared coldly before calmly walking away, stepping on the pink box that he had brought, crushing it under the weight of his slippers, shattering the beautiful glass butterfly inside. He disappeared into the night. That would be the last night anyone would see him in Konoha as the boy they once knew. He was only fifteen at that time…

SHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINO

He stirred in bed and glanced at the clock. It was already nine o' clock in the evening. His lover had not yet arrived. He sat up and leaned on the headboard. Where could his white-haired lover be? There was no mission tonight. Not that he knew of. Oh yes, Kakashi has an annoying habit of being late most of the time, but he was never, ever, late for bedtime unless something drastically important came up. He sighed, and frowned. He was worried. Yes, Uchiha Sasuke, bastard extraordinaire is capable of lesser mortal emotions like worry, concern, anxiety, whatever you want to call it. He can be quite fretful when it came to the subject of Hatake Kakashi, his former trainer, and now his lover. Yes, lover. Though, sometimes, he wonders whether 'lover' is the right term for the realtionship between him and the white-haired jounin. Sure, they have wild, passionate sex, and do some 'kinky' stuff, but beyond the bedroom they were simply trainer and trainee, teacher and student, team leader and soldier. Were they even friends? Sasuke knew that Kakashi cared about him, after all, he also cared about that dobe and Sakura, so he must care about Sasuke as well, right? Maybe a bit more than the other two becausehehad beenchosen to grace the older man's bed.

He loved Kakashi. He always had. He probably always will. Ever since that test with the bell, he had been interested in his handsome teacher with the mismatched eyes. That interest grew to respect. The respect turned to fondness. The fondness to desire. The desire morphed into love. He cannot recall when or how he fell in love. He just did.

And now his lover was late.

A few minutes later, the blue-haired young man heard the front door click softly. Finally. He wasn't used to sleeping alone these past few months. Since their relationship began, Sasukestarted to spend every night sleeping in Kakashi's bed, with the owner as his favorite pillow. And even if no words were spoken, the sixteen year old could tell that his bedmate had no complaints with the arrangement. He had not moved in officially yet. But he was seriously considering talking to the jounin about it. It's such a hassle to check things at his house from time to time, when he's hardly ever there. Maybe tonight would be a good time.

Kakashi entered the room with an impassive expression. Sasuke slid down a bit on the bed and gave a small smile at his lover. The white-haired nin just gave a nod and headed straight to the bathroom. Sasuke just sighed againand waited for the man to come out.

A few minutes later Kakashi emerged from his shower, clad only in a short black towel. Beads of water droplets cling on newly cleansed skin. Sasuke enjoys ogling the copy nin when he is three-quarters naked after taking a bath. The man just looked like Sin incarnate. The pale, wet hair wasdrooping sexily to frame that exquisitelyhandsome face, covering one side, the one with a scar over the red eye, the silver white locks dripping down that long pale neck. His eyes lingered on that slim, lean, yet muscular body. Though is was covered with some scars, it was still sculpted like perfection. Then he move to that gorgeous, firm and tempting backside that just makes him drool everytime,even outside the bedroom. It's a good thing that he was trained toschool his emotions really well, or his teammates will always have a good laugh at his expense. Especially that baka deadlast.

Back to the specimen before him, his eyes settled at the spot that the tiny black towel was concealing. What lies underneath was anything but tiny. Damn, it's just criminal to look so luscious in black.

He felt an intense, scrutinizing gaze directed at him. It made the hairs on the back of hisneck stand up. He raised his onyx orbs to meet his lover's beautiful mismatched eyes. He still cannot understand what the other was trying to convey to him. He watched as Kakashi walked towards the bed and slid into the warm confines of thick blue cotton sheets. Sasuke immediately curled into his lover's form.

"Kakashi?" the blue haired nin began quietly.

"Hmmm." The older nin absentmindedly stroked the other's bare shoulder.

"I was thinking…"

"Don't think." Kakashi interrupted and began to kiss his young lover fiercely.

For a second, Sasuke became confused, before he responded enthusiastically to his love's heated ministrations. The dance for the night has begun…

And this was how it ended…

Somewhat differently from the other nights.

Because the magical night ended the moment Sasuke cried out the words: "Aishiteru yo Kakashi-sama!"

Time stood still. Frozen for a moment that seemed like forever and a day.

"What did you say?" The famous copy nin suddenly halted and looked down to meet two pools of onyx.

"I… I said I love you Kakashi." The younger nin admitted with a sigh. There was no use denying it after all.

"Leave." Was the sudden reply as the jounin pulled away and turned his back.

"Nani?"Came the startled cry from his companion.

"Are you deaf now?" The voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.

"Why?" He was so confused. One minute it was perfect and the next minute…

"Go!" His lover was angry. Because of three little words?

"What did I do? Was it because I said I love you?" He only wanted explanations.

"Don't make me throw you out!" But hell seems bent on getting loose.

"What's this all about Kakashi?" He tried to calm the torrential rain of emotions that suddenly hit him.

"Just shut up and get the hell out!"

"No! We deal with this now. I love you. I think you know that. And I know that you at least care about me. So what the hell is your problem?" He feels the hysterics creeping its way into his system.

"That's it." The white-haired ninja ran out of patience and began to unceremoniously drag his naked lover out of bed and out of the house.

"Kakashi! Stop! Damn it. It hurts." The grip was tight and bruising. He was released unto the cold soil covered ground.

"I don't want to see you again. You hear me? It was fun while it lasted. Kept me entertained for months, but I draw the line when you try to complicate things with your childish illusions of being in love." His love stood over him like a looming shadow from his nightmares.

"You're just in denial!" He insisted, yet feeling the acrid taste of defeat stirring inside him.

"And you're getting annoying." An eyebrow was raised before a lean, muscular back is turned.

"I think you love me," the sharingan heir countered with what tiny ounce of stubbornness and hope that he had left… "And for some reason you're afraid of that. Why? I'd thought that the great Hatake Kakashi is made of much sterner stuff."

He hadn't meant it to sound mocking. But he wanted the other man to feel some hurt too. His hair was yanked roughly by the same hand that caressed him softly minutes earlier, forcing him to look into the eyes of the one who claimed his heart...

"Listen to me and listen good, I don't love you. I'm totally incapable of having any romantic feelings for you. You were a decent fuck. Someone to occupy my time. That's it. That's all it ever was. You just twisted things round that little head of yours to make yourself believe that you're actually in love with me and I with you. Wake up Sasuke. The world doesn't revolve around you and your make believe little world. You don't know what love is all about. Come near me again, and I will hurt you." All hell had finally broken loose…

His lover left him there in the middle of an empty street. Bruised, bare, and broken hearted. The flame of life died as black orbs became nothing more than empty voids looking straight out into the darkness. The broken figure got up and staggered painfully towards the direction of the house that he had not been in many, many days. That had been the last night that the Uchiha heir walked the streets of Hidden Leaf Village as the stoic, cynical, yet caring boy that many had come to know.

SHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINO

He took a walk in the park after dinner. He preferred to be out at night when the sky is clear and countless of stars decide to adorn the heavens. Konoha is quiet at night. A few minutes later, a figure approaches. It was someone he had come to know quite well over the past year. Hyuga Neji. They becamequite familiar to each othershortly after the Chuunin exams. Both had passed, even though Neji lost in the Finals to Naruto. He learned that the he and the silver-eyed ninja shared a similar hobby… looking at the sky and reflecting on life after a hard day's training. For some reason, that particular activity had become quite more pleasant with someone to share it with.

He had always been a quiet person. When he was but a child, his parents feared that he might have been deaf or mute, because he almost wouldn't say anything and would react late on many given occasions. Over time, they learned to accept that he was naturally a silent person.

This night, for some reason, seemed different from the other nights. At first, he didn't understand why he felt this way. The veil of cloud lifted and revealed the full moon up above. He just sat there on a wooden bench looking up at the full moon, thinking of this and that. Kiba and Hinata had gotten together some time ago. They told him this afternoon. He gave them a small smile and congratulated them. They were the closest people he had that he could call his best friends. Kiba had been pining for their pretty and petite teammate for as long as Shino could remember. It used to make him wonder why it took so long for his friend to confess. But now he understood and he sincerely wished that it would work out between them.

Kiba once told him, "You would never know what love is like until you experienced it for yourself. No matter how many timesexplain itor how detailed I describe it to you, you wouldn't know it until you've tried it for yourself."

And now he had. It hit him like a barrage of shurikens, when he was most unprepared and with one of the least likely expected candidate. He shifted his shaded eyes to his companion sitting beside him. Silver eyes are currently focused on the full moon. The moon's reflection seemed to make the silver orbs sparkle. The older teen's long brown hair was loose and swayed with the gentle night breeze. In Shino's opinion, there would be very few things that could compare.

He could safely conclude that he and Neji were something akin to friends. They seldom really converse, but they have an understanding. Sometimes, Neji would bring a snack or two, sometimes Shino would return the favor. No one ever really spoke of a formal meeting place or make schedule of when they will get together. They usually just know by instinct where the other would be… the quiet place where it would be best to watch the sky, day or night.

In the course of their impromptu encounters, Shino realized that he had been gradually falling in love with his sky-watching companion. There are times when he would feel awkward when his friend studies him, trying to probe with that impressive byakugan what Shinois all about.

The moment he realized that he had unwittingly fallen in love, Shino began to ask questions in his mind. "What happens now?" was the foremost in his list. "Does this mean he's gay?"

Their culture was not entirely averse to same sex relationships. He knew of some existing relationships among his peers and teachers. Uchiha Sasuke and Kakashi sensei for one, could be an example,though not many people knew, and those who did kept their mouths shut, while the rest of the village remained oblivious. One time, he caught Kurenai sensei kissing one of their female examiners in the chuunin exam two years prior. The Hokage herself is rumored to be… okay… these things were none of his business. The whole issue was tolerated, and for most part, ignored, but not entirely encouraged. After all, a shinobi's work is dangerous and uncertain, so there's often a need for population growth in the village.

But Shino wasn't gay. At least he didn't think so. He was quite attracted to some girls in the same manner that he was to Neji. The only difference was the intensity of that attraction. Besides, the said ladies in question were already taken. Sakura is with her teammate, that weird, loud, Naruto guy. Yamanaka Ino had finally accepted the wooingof onelazy chuunin by the name of Shikamaru. His silent infatuation ended with the knowledge that they were now somebody else's girlfriend. Then there's Hinata. Yes, she's a cute girl. At one time, he had almost fallen for her caring ways, but she was just too timid for his tastes. And she's happy with his best friend now so why dwell on it?

Then in his quiet existence, entered Hyuga Neji. He was that 'once number one genius rookie ninja', talented, egotistical, and quite overbearing. After his defeat in the chuunin exams, the byakugan user became a bit more grounded and tolerable. Shino learned that his somewhat constant companion and occasional sparring partner did know how to give a genuine smile and hold a pleasant, casual conversation, even if these were rare. He didn't know why Neji chose to be his friend. They had never even talked before that one afternoon when all of this began. All he knew is that, along the way, he had… fallen in love.

Sitting there on the bench at an empty parkin the midst of a bright full moon, Aburame Shino watched his companion with calculating eyes. Suddenly, silver eyes turned his way.

"Shino?" Neji queried.

He continued to stare beneath his dark glasses.

"Are you okay?" the older teen asked, his brows furrowing ever so slightly.

As if driven by some unknown force, maybe he could blame the moon later on, the heir of the Aburame clan leaned in and kissed a bewildered Hyuga on his lips.

It was Shino's first kiss. It was everything Kiba described and more. Moments later, he felt Neji respond eagerly before suddenly freezing up again. Next thing he knew, he was pushed roughly onto his bum on the dirt, still reeling from the kiss, with a furious teen towering over his sprawled form and glaring kunais at him.

"What the hell did you just do?" The silver-eyed teen shouted angrily. "What did you think you were you trying to accomplish!"

"Anou I-" Shino tried to find the words to explain.

"Chose me for a little experimentation, didn't you?" Neji sneered.

"No!" the younger chuunin protested shaking his head, his usual calm quickly beginning to dissolve. "It's just…"

"Just what?" The other prodded tauntingly.

A defeated sigh resounded in the still air.

"Aishiteru yo… Hyuga Neji." Shino stated as steadily as he could.

"What?" The other teen looked taken aback.

"You heard. I'm not repeating myself." He resigned to his fate. But he wasn't sorry he said it. Or was he?

"Douseiai ka?" The question was asked in a clipped tone.

"Not exactly." He admitted. "Ryousei no… osoraku…"

"Bastard." Was the next word that reached his ears.

"What?" He glanced up at Neji, his shock hidden in his pitch black glasses.

"I'm not like you…" His older companion scowled.

"But you kissed back." The kikai tamer pointed out trying to stand up.

He felt a sharp pain as a kick hit his left side and he fell back onto the ground. His glasses falling on the dirt beside him. He closed his eyes andtried to feel his glasses. His bugs stirred restlessly inside him, but he restrained them. The last thing he wanted was to get into a fight with this person before him.

"Shut up! What on earth were you thinking?" Neji screeched at him before calming down. "That I would return your feelings or something?"

"I thought I saw…" He put his shades back on and stared at the other teen's slipper-clad feet.

"You thought?" Neji interrupted. "I don't think you were even thinking."

"I-" Shino tried trying to at least sit properly.

"You took advantage of me." The other boy accused taking one step closer, thin veins began to appear onthat paleforehead.

"Gomen…" Was all he could get out, lowering his head still. He could be an idiot sometimes. He felt Neji kneel on one knee in front of him.

A fist collided with his jaw, tearing up his lower lip as it came into contact with his upper teeth. Again, through sheer will, he had to control the kikai that are screaming to come to his aid.

"Don't you ever dare approach me again Shino," Neji warned darkly before continuing. "Or I'll make sure thatnobody will recognize your corpse."

"I thought we were friends." Shino gasped, touching the blood that dripped from his torn lip.

"Not anymore." The long-haired Hyuuga replied coldly. "And just so you know, I already have a girlfriend. Her name's Tenten. I think you've met her." Neji spat out maliciously before walking away.

Shino just sat there, staring emptily at nothing, his head trying to comprehend what just happened. Something clenched inside his left chest as the previous scene replayed itself over and over inside his mind until it faded. He stood up and fixed his shades. In the end, he reflected, it wasn't worth it.

The young Aburame slowly began to find his way back to his house. His parents might be getting worried. That was the last time the dark shaded, reticent teen that the people of Konoha knew walked its dusty streets. Young love is a painful business.

SHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINO

It was around eleven o' clock when three forlorn figures met by pure chanceat an intersectioncoming from three different directions. Each looked at the other and assessed the situation. It would have been funny, had it not been quite tragic. Each one of them was wearing the same look as the other. This made way for a brief moment of understanding.

Uchiha Sasuke suddenly felt the chilling breeze of the night time air that he had not given any mind before. His naked body shook slightly with the cold, both from within and with out. Quietly, Shino and Naruto both pulled off their jackets. Shino's coat suited the situation more,because it had been long enough to cover the essential parts and so he helped the blue-haired teen into the long gray coat. There were no questions asked between the three of them. They stared at each other for a while, finding temporary comfort in the others' pain that seemed to rival their own. Small nods were exchanged after a minute before each started on his way.

After only two steps, Naruto stopped and called the attention of the other two nins.

"I have an idea," he said out of nowhere. "Follow me now."

The blonde beckoned to them. Shino and Sasuke looked at him questioningly but decided to humor Naruto. They reached an apartment that looked like the home of the current Hokage.

"What are we doing here Naruto?" Sasuke asked in befuddlement. The last thing he wanted to do was bother the village leader.

"You'll see."

Naruto knocked none too gently at the door. A sleepy Shizune answered the door after a few minuteswith an irritated look on her sleepy face.

"Nani o?" she grumbled irritably, hating to be woken in the middle of a good dream. Her eyes widened at the sight that greeted her. "Naruto? Sasuke? Bug boy… I'm mean Aburame san? Koko ni, nani o shimasu ka?"

"We're here to see 'baasan." Naruto replied, his face unreadable to the Hokage's aide.

"In the middle of the night?" Shizune asked. Surely whatever it was could wait until morning. The whole darn village is fast asleep, except for the anbus on duty.

"Yes, I'm aware that it's the middle of the night." Naruto began in a flat voice, much unlike what Shizune used to hear. "Now can we please, see her?"

It's unnerving to hear the young man this polite. And with two unexpected companions too.

"Naruto…" Sasuke called his attention from behind, but the blonde just raised a hand up in a gesture of dismissal.

"Trust me on this one okay?" Naruto simply said, quieting his companion.

"She won't like it Naruto." Shizune warned him as she allowed them to step inside the house.

"Well, she won't like it even more if she woke up and lost her favorite chuunin." Naruto declared in a casual tone.

"What?" Shizune gasped.There was something she didn't like in that tone.

"Onegai, Shizune. I don't want to explain right now. Just call her so we can be off." Naruto begged in a softer voice.

Shizune scuttled towards the stair to call her master when the Godaime appeared on top of the stairs, yawning and dressed in her sleeping robes. Seeing the three men inside the receiving area she raised her eyebrows irritably her hands akimbo.

"What is the meaning of this, you little brat?" She demanded. "Iwas in the middle of my beauty sleep!"

"You're still old no matter what you do 'baasan." The young man in question retorted cheekily

"Why you impertinent little…" Tsunade is trying so hard not to lose her temper. "If you came here at an unholy hour just to waste my time, by all the Konoha holds dear, I will skin you alive, brat."

"We need a mission. Preferably a long one." Naruto simply stated getting straight to the point.

"Children today have no respect for--- what did you say?" Her lecture was cut short as what the blue-eyed boy was saying. They came into her house in the middle of the night to ask for a goddamn mission?

"Are you really getting that old?" Naruto snorted. "I said I'm requesting for a long, tedious mission with my two companions over here."

The blonde woman shifter her eyes to the two other people in the room.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Aburame Shino?" Somehow she got confounded. "I don't think I understand."

Sigh! Naruto looked up thoughtfully before turning serious. "It's quite simple really. Me, Sasuke and Shino would like to go on a legitimate mission that would take us as isolated and as far away from Konoha as possible, and something that will last for a long period of time."

"You can't just walk in here, disturbing the neighborhood, and demanding the Hokage to give you long, complicated missions outside the country." Tsunade replied haughtily. "You maybe talented young men, but you're only chuunins. You seem to forget your place Naruto."

"So you're willing to sacrifice us needlessly then?" Naruto inquired in an eerily icy and quiet voice that unnerved the current Hokage.

"What the hell are you talking about?" The Godaime demanded.

"Whatever happens, you will lose three chuunins this night Hokage-sama." Sasuke interrupted. Tsunade note that he was wearing someone else's coat. Not his usual fashion. There was also a purple bruise on his left cheek. "I think that what Naruto is trying to tell you is that you could give us a secret mission that will take us out of here or be prepared to send your best hunter nins on our tracks."

"Are you threatening me?" She turned sharp eyes into the last of the Uchihas in Konoha.

"No ma'am." It was Aburame Shino who responded. The blonde-haired leader of Konoha took in the torn lip and the bits of dried blood on the young man's face. "We're merely stating the facts."

"Which is?" She prodded.

"We can't stay any longer than necessary 'baasan." Naruto explained. "And no, we don't want to talk about it. Just please send us out."

"Am I supposed to give you a suicide mission or something?" Was the mocking question before the voice quieted to a more acceptable tone. "I can't do that Naruto."

"'Baasan, onegai." Naruto pleaded. He knew that the Hokage was concerned about him with the Akatsuki on his tail and because he knew of her past. This one plea included one for trust. "I have never begged for anything more in my life. Just give us a mission that will make us leave this night. I swear to you that we will come back alive and gracefully kicking enemy butt after a few years."

"Naruto…" The older woman sighed, giving in, and so she asked. "Very well. Has any of you decided what you'd want to be in the near future?"

"You know I'm gonna be the next Hokage." Was the automatic response from Naruto.

"Sasuke?" she turned to the blue-haired teen.

"I just want to be powerful enough to defeat my brother and avenge my clan." The young man contemplated. "That will be enough."

Her eyes went to the only son of the Aburame clan's leader.

"I was contemplating on becoming an anbu," was the quiet reply. "Or maybe a hunter ninja."

"Very well. I will send you on a delicate mission to spy on an enemy camp two years from now." The hokage crossed her arms and began to pace around the room.

"What!" Naruto almost screamed.

"Let me finish. You are not ready yet. But I believe that it is time." The older ex-medic nin began. "Jiraiya and I have been discussing some things lately and the topic just came up. I was going to send a team of three ninjas to be trained by Master Kaichou at the Soradanominoyama up north. We were in the process of choosing who among our most gifted nins to dispatch, but we couldn't make up our minds."

"Master Kaichou---who?" Naruto asked as his two other companions looked up in confucsion. "Soradano---where?

"Let me explain. Every two decades, Konoha sends one, two or three ninjas at Soradanominoyama to secretly train for at least two years under the watchful eyes of Kaichou-sama. Kaichou-sama was a very wise and very powerful ninja from Konoha who decided to retire and be a hermit at one of the forbidden mountains up north. But ever true to his country, he made a pact with the Nidaime to train some of the best ninjas that Konoha would ever see, every one or two decades. Jiraiya and yours truly included, of course… and the Yondaime as well."

"He must be very old then." Naruto observed.

"You are just about the right age, the three of you." Tsunade interrupted. "I guess the choice had been made for me. You can leave anytime you're ready."

"Can we go tonight?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes. I won't even ask why. Gather your things, pack light, bring a cloak, and return here in an hour for some last minute instructions. Understand?"

"Hai." The three young nins replied in unison before disappearing out the door.

SHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINO

As soon as they left Shizune, the silent observer, stood from one corner of the room and turned to the Godaime.

"Master Tsunade, why did you suddenly decide to send them off?" she inquired.

"There was something in all of their eyes tonight, Shizune." Tsunade sighed. "I don't want to lose Naruto, you know that. He is like my anchor to the past, the reminder of the dreams and the responsibilities that I had yet to fulfill. Those three have so much potential in them, I don't want to see that wasted."

Suddenly there was a gleam that appeared in her eyes as she continued absently. "Perhaps it is time for Naruto to discover the truth about his identity."

"What do you mean?" the young aid was startled at the comment.

"Oh nothing. Nothing." Shrugged the older woman before turning to her room to prepare some things. It wouldn't do for Kaichou-sama to be caught unprepared.

SHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINO

"Naruto, how did-" Sasuke began as soon as the Hokage's house was out of sight.

"We all know what will happen if I didn't." Naruto replied offhandedly but with a serious edge in his voice. "I guess I don't really feel like throwing my life away for the time being."

"Careful dobe," His former teammate warned. "I might start to respect you."

"Yeah, yeah." The blonde dismissed. He turned to Shino, whoremainedunusuallyquiet and was currentlyslightly quivering, and said softly, "Hey there, hold the waterworks or whatever that is till after you arrive at your place. We'll meet outside Tsunade 'baasan's after an hour."

"Don't be late." The young Uchiha reminded.

"Speak for yourself, bastard." Naruto shot back.

"Oh and Naruto?" Sasuke halted and for a second.

"Hai?" Naruto asked.

"Leave anything orange and bright inside your closet." Sasuke chided. "We're supposed to be avoiding attention."

Naruto snorted but suddenly stopped to shrugged off his trademark orange jacket. He stared at it for a while and then flung it on the ground. That would be the last time he would ever wear it. He ran towards his house and didn't look back.

SHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINO

"We're here for your final words 'baasan," declared the blond teen solemnly as the three announced their arrival at the Hokage's house.

"Very well." Tsunade went straight to business. "Here is some salve for your injuries. And here is a map of how to get to Soradanominoyama. Just follow the route and you won't get lost. I'm giving it to Shino, because you, brat, and Sasuke are more likely to fight over the smallest things about it."

Naruto gave a pout and Sasuke just frowned.

"I expect you'll arrive there in less than a month." She continued. "I already sent a letter for Master Kaichou to acknowledge you as his new students. Be careful. Orochimaru and the Akatsuki are still out there. I was hesitant to release you because two of you are greatly wanted for several reasons. Did you bring cloaks?"

"Hai." Was the reply along with some nods.

"Then go. Again, be very careful." She reminded the three with a genuine smile that was both sad and sweet. "Come back safe and sound. I will send your mission to Kaichou-sama after two years."

She came up to them and kissed each of the young chuunins on their foreheads, lingering a second more on Naruto's.

"I will miss you, little brat." She whispered softly.

"I will miss you too 'baasan," was the young blonde's quiet but honest reply. "Mata ne."

"My blessings go with you." These were her parting words as the door closed in on the trio. "Ki o tsukete yo."

"There goes the next Hokage." Tsunade gave and enigmatic smile, looking at the moon outside the window.

"Tsunade-sama?"

The Godaime let out a sigh.

"Let's go back to sleep Shizune. O-yasuminasai."

SHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINOSHINO

Deep into the night, under the full moon on the ninth month of the Konoha calendar, three cloaked, shadowy figures could be seen running swiftly toward the borders of Fire Country. Fatigued and broken they may be, yet they push themselves as far as their legs could take them, never once looking over their shoulder at the past that they were leaving behind. With tears flowing freely from their eyes and their battered spirits determined to face the future, they quietly said their goodbyes to the wind. They are never to step foot at the village grounds for the next three years...

End Chapter

Notes:

Whew! This was a long chapter. I hope I didn't make too many errors. Should I continue? If you've made it this far, take pity and please review…

Ah… anime fanfiction gives me an excuse to practice my Nihongo… I'm taking basic language classes… lol… but most of you are familiar with most of these terms anyway… but just as well : )

Some terms used:

Yakitori- ha! It's that delicious grilled chicken on sticks

Harumaki- simply put: spring rolls of sorts

Sakura- cherry blossoms… they're in almost every other anime

Doushite yo?- Why

Gomen ne.- Sorry ( I think that this is one of the most overused expression everywhere)

Hontou ni- truly, truthfully, honestly… yadayadayada

Daijoubou- it's okay (another overused term)

Dobe- idiot of sorts (as if you didn't know)

Baka- stupid (as if you didn't know)

Aishiteru yo- I love you (as if you didn't know) (I'm getting kinda redundant)

Douseiai- I think this means gay/ homosexual

Ryousei- bisexual, goes both ways... yadayadayada

Osoraku- maybe

Nani o?- What

Koko ni nani o shimasu ka?- What are you doing here?

Onegai- please

'Baasan- grandmother

Kaichou- literally I mean 'wild bird'

-sama- an honorific attachment that shows deep respect… master or lord

Soradanomiyama- 'soradanomi' actually means 'fool's paradise'; 'yama' is mountain so I just named the place soradanomiyama or mountain of fool's paradise… it's a silly name but I thought it felt right.

Mata ne- see you later

Ki o tsukete yo- take care

O-yasuminasai- goodnight.

And that's it…

I hope I get some reviews. I'd really appreciate it… do you think I should change the rating… this seems to be borderline M is some scenes... what do you think? If you have comments, suggestions, not-so violent reactions or whatever please feel free to click the review button and do tell.

Shinoryuu Yukimura


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